Water and proper infrastructure are necessary for societies to flourish. On April 3, I was honored to moderate a panel discussion at Harvard Business School featuring entrepreneurs, World Bank representatives and government regulators. The panel’s title was “Energy, Infrastructure & Vital Industries” and our focus also included water issues in the Mideast, a place where, as panelist Uri Shani wisely noted, scarcity is the essential element.
Our gathering of talented and experienced people presented a series of short but powerful presentations, each with its own special focus. Together they provided a panorama of the water situation the Middle East faces, an informative analysis of how the World Bank views the region’s water problems, how an important agricultural segment deals with sustainability.
The presentations also pointed out the important role of women and the need to be aware of the desperate problems in Gaza – finally ending with recognition that despite the manifest problems, there is interest in investment.
As moderator, I was moved and inspired by the presentations and the panel members’ commitment.
It is also important to acknowledge the work and courage of the student club, comprised of a diverse group of students from Arab countries, Palestine, Israel and the US. These students from Harvard Business School, the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Education School and MIT Sloan organized a conference to foster a constructive conversation on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
While they confronted opposition from those opposed to dialogue and cooperation, they nonetheless persisted.
For more information, check out the website of Economic Prosperity for Peace, the conference’s organizer.
Len Miller, Esq. Senior Advisor
A member of the Dawson team since 2013, Len was instrumental in the development of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air, water, permitting and enforcement programs while serving as one of EPA’s first environmental attorneys.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dawson & Associates.